Connect With Us

White House expedites 2 transit projects

As part of its ongoing "We Can't Wait" initiative, the Obama administration is expediting two regional transit projects.

The White House on Monday announced that the Southwest Light Rail Transit line in Minneapolis, Minn. and the Little Italy Rapid Station in Cleveland, Ohio were both approved.

"As part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March of this year, the Office of Management and Budget is charged with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective, saving time while driving better outcomes for local communities," the White House said in a statement.

“Investments in infrastructure are putting people back to work in Minnesota and Ohio building and modernizing our transit systems,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. "The Obama Administration is committed to doing its part to help communities across the country move forward with these critical projects as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The Obama administration has been running an ongoing program of using executive orders to bypass congressional inaction and gridlock.